PROPOSALS From his Excellency Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX: AND The Council of his Army, by way of Address to the Parliament, for removing the causes of the Cries and Groans of the People; For pay for the Soldiers, Relief for Ireland, Disbanding the supernumery of Forces in England. And removing of the Quarters further from London, into several parts.  
Also for enabling the Kingdom to find moneys, and for making Commodities to be cheaper, and more plentiful The High Sheriffs and not Committees to execute the power.  
To prevent the Designs of those that study Anarchy; to remove distractions, and grindings of the faces of the poor, and the wasting of the Counties, And to settle a true peace, and security through the whole KINGDOM.  
By the appointment of his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax, and the Council of his Army, Subscribed JOHN BUSHWORTH, Secretary.  
October 17. 1647.  
THese Proposals from his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax, and his Council, are appointed to be Printed, according to the Ordinance of both Houses of Parliament.  
Imprimatur,  
G. M tt.  
Printed at London by Robert Ibbitson, in Smithfield, near the Queenes-head Tavern, 1647.   

PROPOSALS From His Excellency Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX AND The Council of his Army, by way of Address to the Parliament, for removing The Causes of the cries and groans of the PEOPLE.  
Mr. Speaker,  
THe great sense we have of the cries and groans of the people, under Free quarter, and those unutterable calamities, that must inevitably befall this poor Kingdom, presses us sore, And invites us to make this earnest address unto you; that you would please to take it into your present consideration to make out a provision for a constant pay of those forces you intent to keep on foot for the security of this Kingdom, and the reducement of distressed Ireland.  
And because His Excellency and this Army are obliged by their engagement to take care of all those Forces, which have mutually engaged with you, in these late services.  
We do offer unto you our opinion; whether it may not much conduce to your affairs, speedily to prepare moneys for the disbanding of such as you intent not to be of the number of that standing body of Horse and Foot, for the ends aforesaid: That so your Forces being contracted, the Kingdom may be better encouraged and more enabled to make good their pay, and the Army be disposed to the respective Garrisons, and such Quarters that the price of commodities may not be inhauced in any part of the Kingdom, (much less so near this populous City) which is occasioned by this contracted posture.  
Truly Sir we might press you with that months pay which hath been so often promised, and we did believe was before this deposited in your Treasury, And that great neglect (which must rest some where) that no part of it is drawn in: And that if the City be the fayler, the sad precedent it gives to the whole Kingdom.  
We might mention unto you the necessity of the Soldiery: And the great advantages some that study Anarchy, and distractions take upon it, to make their impressions upon this Army.  
But nothing is so difficult and grievous to us, as to consider how the poor Soldier (for his mere subsistence) is compelled to grind the faces of the poor, to take a livelihood from them, who are fit to receive alms, to undo families, waste counties, threaten the ruin of the whole, and all propriety, & to be an abhorring to himself (which some ingenuous of them acknowledge) and this for want of that constant supply and pay, whereby they might cheerfully and with content to the people discharge their quarters, and so ease both the Country and their own minds of an intolerable burden,  
This being that which the neighbour States both of the Netherlands and others make their prime scope, and whereby they enjoy so much peace, and quiet, under a warlike posture, this being the only and certain medium to stop the cries, and groans of so many thousands ready to perish, and to heal the wounds of this desolate Nation, that will otherwise bleed to death, and inevitable ruin.  
Sir, We do humbly conceive, that the present and speedy dispatch of what we here offer, is the only Basis, and foundation for the rest of your Affairs, how weighty soever they seem to be. And without which you cannot answer to this Kingdoms, peace, or safety.  
We shall only add, that for the bringing in your assessments, it may be most contenting, and effectual too; To pass it by the way of the high-sheriff, etc. As it used to be in the Case of Subsidies, the Name and power of Commits being so unpleasant to the people, and the High Sheriff being so responsal, both for his Estate, and power in the County.  
We would not have put thus much trouble upon you, but that it is to ease you and the Kingdom of a greater, and to discharge ourselves before God and men, as those that have moved every stone by our several addresses to accomplish that without which the Kingdom's peace and security cannot be established.  
We do further offer unto you, the necessity of a present Auditing, the Arrears of this Army, and that the Committee for the Army, may be forthwith dispatched, with full instructions to that purpose, according to your late Vote, which being put into a way, would give great satisfaction to the Soldiers.  
And we shall again remind you of our humble desire, that the Arrears, and Public Faith of the Army, and Soldiery of the Kingdom may be satisfied out of the Deans and Chapters Lands, etc. or such other visible way as shall be contenting to the Soldiery; And what shall be resolved upon in this behalf to be insisted upon with the rest of the Propositions.  
Putney the 7. of October, 1647. By the Appointment of his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax, and the Council of his Army, Signed, JOHN RUSHWORTH Secretary.   
FINIS.